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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Innovative large overbraided carbon fiber composite beams in historical Friendship Bell Pavilion

The International Friendship Bell Pavilion located in the City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee symbolizes the spirit of the peace and friendship shared by the city of Oak Ridge and city of Naka, Japan. The Bell Pavilion features an 8000-pound bronze cast bell along with futuristic materials and advanced manufacturing technologies. The team has developed innovative overbraided carbon fiber arched beams in conjunction with the bronze bell. Carbon fiber was utilized in these beams because of its lightweight, strong, stiff, and durable characteristics. A sandwich design used a high-performance foam core, overbraided with triaxial carbon fibers. This is the world’s largest overbraided composite structure for parks and recreation. For the first time in such an application, 17 free floating, 33-foot (10 m) long arched carbon fiber composite beams cantilever from a central concrete-steel superstructure over the bronze bell. The arc radius of the bottom of each beam is uniquely different giving an appearance of an open dome when standing underneath the structure.

Parks and Recreation↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mineral Recovery Enhanced Desalination (MRED) process: An innovative technology for desalinating hard brackish water

Desalination of water containing high concentrations of calcium, dissolved carbon dioxide, sulfate, silica and other sparingly soluble salts is difficult because of the scaling potential. An innovative pre-treatment scheme was investigated at bench scale that selectively removes these constituents and produces a soft water to enable desalination with high feed water recovery. The process first removes dissolved carbon dioxide by air stripping at low pH. Magnesium is removed by precipitation at high pH. Calcium is removed by ion exchange (IX), and sulfate is removed by nanofiltration (NF). Cation regenerant from IX, containing calcium, and concentrate from NF, containing sulfate, is combined to precipitate gypsum. Concentrate from the desalination process consisting of a concentrated NaCl solution is used to regenerate the IX resins. The selective precipitation, IX, and NF processes were tested in laboratory experiments and produced magnesium hydroxide and gypsum at greater than 90% and 95% purity respectively. A process model was developed to calculate process performance, mass and liquid flow rates. Finally, the MRED process offers the following benefits: 1) greater recovery of brackish feedwater by a desalination process, 2) recovery of marketable commodities and 3) reduction in the volume and mass of waste products from the treatment process.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Innovations in underground hydrogen storage with multiphysics simulations, optimization, and monitoring: A review

Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) is a promising solution for large-scale energy storage and a critical component in advancing low-carbon energy system. Ensuring the safety and efficiency of UHS necessitates a comprehensive understanding of multiphysical interactions driven by cyclic pore fluid pressure fluctuations and coupled physicochemical processes. Here, this review examines the key geomechanical responses in UHS, including rock property variations under cyclic loading, fracture evolution and propagation, reservoir stress sensitivity, and fault stability. It also explores the impact of geochemical and microbial reactions on geomechanical characteristics. We provide an in-depth analysis of Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) coupled numerical simulations, highlighting their potential for future multi-scale modeling. Limitations of current machine learning (ML) approaches in addressing UHS challenges are highlighted, emphasizing the need for innovative ML-based methodologies. Operational strategies for hydrogen injection and production are reviewed, focusing on safety, efficiency, and economic viability. The necessity for multi-objective optimization (MOO) to balance storage efficiency, risk mitigation, and cost-effectiveness is also discussed. Current monitoring technologies are evaluated to ensure safe and efficient UHS operations. Finally, this review identifies critical knowledge gaps and underscores the importance of advancing geomechanical understanding under multiphysics-coupling. We highlight the need for ML-driven multiphysics theories, enhanced modeling techniques, and robust optimization strategies to improve UHS performance. This study serves as a comprehensive reference for future research and the large-scale implementation of UHS systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Can Food–Energy–Water Nexus Research Keep Pace with Agricultural Innovation?

The interconnection among food–energy–water (FEW) systems in meeting societal demands is broadly acknowledged. Similarly, competitive or synergistic allocations of water and energy resources for agricultural production, manufacturing, and human consumption are understood, and their economic impacts can be predicted. Far less appreciated and understood are the outcomes of the FEW nexus in response to operation changes in agricultural practices and the associated technological innovations for future generations. Also, the inter-scale and feedback effects of emerging technology-driven resource reallocation and decision-making on FEW systems are largely unknown. For example, how do the agroeconomic feedbacks of intelligent technologies influence the FEW nexus of agricultural production under environmental and demographic changes? How does the necessary water allocation for powering non-powered dams and pumped-storage hydropower generation influence agricultural production and municipal water supply maintenance? How do solar and wind energy farms influence land use for agriculture and the rural economy? In turn, how can the generated solar and wind energy help reduce the cost of groundwater extraction or water desalination?

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Inequality and the Future of Electric Mobility in 36 U.S. Cities: An Innovative Methodology and Comparative Assessment

Electric vehicles are seen as one of the technological solutions to transition our transportation systems away from carbon, and cities offer unique opportunities to electrify transportation. To be equitable, however, this transition will not merely require technological innovations. Acknowledging socio-spatial inequalities and creating strategies to address them are critical - yet relatively underexplored - dimensions of the transportation transition. This paper integrates relevant literature into a micro-urban social typology (MUST) approach that uses agglomerative clustering techniques to examine, first, the factors and attributes defining transportation inequities within 36 U.S. cities, and, second, the implications of these inequities for policies that foster a more equitable transportation transition. By combining socio-spatial and transportation data, we identified five MUSTs: Wealthy, Urban Disadvantaged, Urban Renters, Middle-Class Homeowners, and Rural/Exurban. Rather than being tied to any particular indicator (e.g., homeownership), these MUSTs contain intersecting factors and features of inequities. We compare transportation and health outcomes across MUSTs, and the results suggest that user-centric strategies and public investments are necessary to foster true transportation equity. These must go beyond the electrification of private vehicles and should be tailored to the specific characteristics of each MUST. These could include electric carpooling for the rural/exurban MUST and electrification of transit for the urban disadvantaged and renter MUSTs. Our typology offers a critical next step toward informing transportation transition policies to target critical sociodemographic, economic, and techno-infrastructural factors.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Innovative use of CaO in combination with amino acid salt to convert CO 2 as CaCO 3 nanoparticles under mild pH and low temperature

The increasing demand for sustainable CO 2 management has driven the development of innovative methods that can convert point source CO 2 into value-added products. In this study, CaO in combination with amino acid salt was used to convert CO 2 into CaCO 3 nanoparticles. Different from the conventional method where CO 2 diffusion presents a major challenge in reacting with CaO to form CaCO 3 , amino acid salt solvent was applied to absorb CO 2 first and then rapidly reacted with CaO to form CaCO 3 nanoparticles (∼50 nm) at a low temperature (e.g., 60 °C). Our experiments showed that at a glycine (Gly)/NaOH ratio of 2:1 or 3:1, the solution pH values during the CO 2 absorption and conversion were about 8–9 at 60 °C, while at a ratio of 1:1, the solution pH values were about 9–11; without Gly, the solution pH values were about 12. Gly-optimized solvent substantially reduced corrosion risk to reactors. In addition, the use of amino acid (i.e., Gly) led to much smaller CaCO 3 particles, distinctly different chemical phases, and fundamentally different chemical reactions. Moreover, in the presence of Gly, the solution pH was completely reversed and the solution was regenerated for cyclic use when CaO was added. The solvent was recyclable and reusable, highlighting the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of this approach. The Gly-modulated CaCO 3 nanoparticles may have significant potential for industrial applications in the biomedicine, construction, plastics, and rubber industries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Novel in-capsule synthesis of metal–organic framework for innovative carbon dioxide capture system

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have been developed as solid sorbents for CO2 capture applications and their properties can be controlled by tuning the chemical blocks of their crystalline units. A number of MOFs (e.g., HKUST-1) have been developed but the question remains how to deploy them for gas–solid contact. Unfortunately, the direct use of MOFs as nanocrystals would lead to serious problems and risks. Here, for the first time, we report a novel MOF-based hybrid sorbent that is produced via an innovative in-situ microencapsulated synthesis. Using a custom-made double capillary microfluidic assembly, double emulsions of the MOF precursor solutions and UV-curable silicone shell fluid are produced. Subsequently, HKUST-1 MOF is successfully synthesized within the droplets enclosed in the gas permeable microcapsules. The developed MOF-bearing microcapsules uniquely allow the deployment of functional nanocrystals without the challenge of handling ultrafine particles, and further, can selectively reject undesired compounds to protect encapsulated MOFs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of an innovative process for post-combustion CO 2 capture to produce high-value NaHCO 3 nanomaterials

An innovative post-combustion process using aqueous sodium glycinates solutions (SGS) for CO 2 capture from a split flue gas stream emitted from the 600 MWe coal power plant, used in the Wolverine Clean Energy Venture (WCEV) project, was developed in Aspen Plus v.10. The flue gas flow rate used in the process was 12.43 kg/s (at 353.15 K and 101.33 kPa) and contained 0.0023 and 13.33 mol% of SO 2 and CO 2 , respectively. The overall process includes 5 main units designed to remove all SO 2 and capture more than 90 mol% of CO 2 in the flue gas stream, while producing high-value, salable sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) nanomaterials to offset the total process costs. The hydraulics, mass transfer characteristics, and process performance obtained using Aspen Plus were discussed. Also, the capital expenditure (CAPEX), operating expenditure (OPEX), and Levelized cost of CO 2 capture (LCOC) were calculated to assess the feasibility of this process. Further, the hydraulics in the SO 2 washing and CO 2 capture units showed a pressure drop of 12 and 1 kPa, respectively, and the behaviors of the liquid holdup and normalized packing specific wetted surface area were similar in both units. The gas-side mass transfer coefficients were orders of magnitude greater than the liquid-side mass transfer coefficients. The process was able to capture 2.352 kg/s of CO 2 and produce 4.486 kg/s of valuable NaHCO 3 nanomaterials. Also, the calculated CAPEX, OPEX, and LCOC of the process for a 30-year plant lifetime were ($\$ $4,450,552), (233.00 $\$ $/h) and (35.49 $\$ $/ton of CO 2 captured), respectively.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Innovative duo-recombination layer design for effective hydrogen crossover mitigation in advanced MEAs for PEM water electrolyzers

Hydrogen crossover in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) poses a safety hazard, reduces the overall efficiency, and limits the operational differential pressure range. Here, in this study, a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with innovative Pt duo-recombination layer (DRL) design is developed by the unique reactive spray deposition technology (RSDT). The novel design comprises two thin RLs integrated within the volume of the membrane and has a total Pt loading of only 0.04 mg Pt cm −2 . Long-term durability test for over 3000 h is performed with as-fabricated MEA at steady-state conditions typical for an industrial hydrogen production system. The results from the durability test show that the newly developed DRL design effectively suppresses the H2 crossover to below 0.5 vol%. Furthermore, comprehensive post-test characterization of the MEA is performed and potential failure mechanisms in the Pt RLs observed during the durability test are identified and discussed in detail for the first time.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2023

An innovative and alternative approach toward gear fabrication

In this paper, we present the first demonstration of single-step gear manufacturing via an innovative in-situ friction stir forging approach. This novel process is a natural extension to the friction stir processing technique and relies on shear and normal stresses to form the complex shapes. Friction stir welding pin tool with shoulder is plunged at high revolutions per minute (rpm) into the sample to heat it to the desired temperature and enable plastic flow. Then, the tool is forged at high plunge rate to form the desired structurally-sound and defect free complex shapes. To better visualize the process the experiments are complemented by a 3D thermomechanically coupled, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model to understand the material flow pattern both radially and through thickness in the gear teeth, plastic strain distribution, and temperature profile. We have demonstrated application of I-FSF to inherently poor formable AZ31 Mg, AA 7075-T6, and AA5083–10 vol% TiB 2 composite and fabricated 14-tooth spur gears from these materials with minimal farther machining. In conclusion, microstructure of the forged gears exhibited a directional material flow pattern due to the normal forging action and refinement of grains to 6–13 μm through dynamically recrystallization across the radial, through-thickness direction, which is in good agreement with the corresponding SPH simulation results.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Irradiation response of innovatively engineered metastable TRIP high entropy alloy

For this work, properties and radiation responses of a metastable high alloy (HEA) exhibiting the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect were studied. Innovative engineering used to manufacture this HEA has shown superior mechanical and corrosion properties in 3.5% NaCl than most advanced stainless steels. The microstructural evolution and corresponding mechanical response after irradiation have been evaluated using detailed transmission electron microscopy, and nanoindentation. The study shows a change in metastability of the alloy with irradiation via a recovery mechanism, where the irradiation-induced transformation is reversed by the temperature-induced transformation, thereby introducing the concept of self-healing, made possible due to the TRIP behavior of HEA.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Plant synthetic biology innovations for biofuels and bioproducts

Plant-based biosynthesis of fuels, chemicals, and materials promotes environmental sustainability, which includes decreases in greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Advances in plant synthetic biology (synbio) should improve precision and efficacy of genetic engineering for sustainability. Applicable synbio innovations include genome editing, gene circuit design, synthetic promoter development, gene stacking technologies, and the design of environmental sensors. Moreover, recent advancements in developing spatially resolved and single-cell omics contribute to the discovery and characterization of cell-type-specific mechanisms and spatiotemporal gene regulations in distinct plant tissues for the expression of cell- and tissue-specific genes, resulting in improved bioproduction. In conclusion, this review highlights recent plant synbio progress and new single-cell molecular profiling towards sustainable biofuel and biomaterial production.

Yang, Yongil↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Review and Outlook on Experimental Advances and Innovations in Geological CO 2 Storage: Insights from Depleted Gas Reservoirs and Saline Aquifers

Geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in depleted gas reservoirs and deep saline aquifers is a key part of global decarbonization efforts. As carbon capture and storage advances toward commercial-scale deployment, the credibility and scalability of laboratory experiments are increasingly vital for guiding safe and effective field implementation. This review offers a comprehensive, cross-scale evaluation of experimental methodologies, including core flooding, high-pressure, high-temperature systems, microfluidic visualization, and emerging systems such as multilayer commingled/compartmentalized core flooding, 3D-printed micromodels, and AI-powered digital twins. These innovations are demonstrated to enhance representativeness, reproducibility, and real-time insight, thereby addressing the limitations of conventional workflows. A critical analysis of methodological gaps, such as inconsistent pressure–temperature conditions, oversimplified brine chemistry, and a lack of standardization, reveals experimental sources of scale translation errors and performance uncertainty. By comparing the unique challenges of depleted gas reservoirs (such as low water saturation and legacy well leakage) to those of saline aquifers (including pressure buildup and caprock integrity), this review identifies formation-specific priorities for experimental design. Novel contributions include a synthesis of best practices, integration strategies for model calibration, and recommendations for standardizing core handling, saturation procedures, and reporting protocols. Furthermore, this work serves as a guide for developing robust, field-relevant experimental strategies that can increase the deployment and regulatory acceptance of CO 2 storage technologies at scale.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Unlocking Solutions: Innovative Approaches to Identifying and Mitigating the Environmental Impacts of Undocumented Orphan Wells in the United States

In the United States, hundreds of thousands of undocumented orphan wells have been abandoned, leaving the burden of managing environmental hazards to governmental agencies or the public. These wells, a result of over a century of fossil fuel extraction without adequate regulation, lack basic information like location and depth, emit greenhouse gases, and leak toxic substances into groundwater. For most of these wells, basic information such as well location and depth is unknown or unverified. Addressing this issue necessitates innovative and interdisciplinary approaches for locating, characterizing, and mitigating their environmental impacts. Our survey of the United States revealed the need for tools to identify well locations and assess conditions, prompting the development of technologies including machine learning to automatically extract information from old records (95%+ accuracy), remote sensing technologies like aero-magnetometers to find buried wells, and cost-effective methods for estimating methane emissions. Notably, fixed-wing drones equipped with magnetometers have emerged as cost-effective and efficient for discovering unknown wells, offering advantages over helicopters and quadcopters. Efforts also involved leveraging local knowledge through outreach to state and tribal governments as well as citizen science initiatives. These initiatives aim to significantly contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gases and improving air and water quality.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Innovative and Economically Beneficial Use of Corn and Corn Products in Electrochemical Energy Storage Applications

The United States is by far the largest corn producer worldwide, with corn yields steadily increasing for the past decades. In many midwestern U.S. states such as Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska, corn farmers currently grow more corn than consumers can utilize as human food or animal feed. To sustain the economic viability of corn farmers, it is critical that new uses and markets for corn, corn byproducts from harvesting, corn industrial products, and corn byproducts from industrial processing should be discovered, giving the highest return to corn producers. With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles and grid-level energy storage systems for renewable energy, there has been an ever-growing interest in improving existing energy storage technologies as well as developing new ones. During this development, a great amount of effort has been focused on exploiting cost-effective solutions utilizing sustainable materials derived from renewable biomass. Here, innovative and economically beneficial uses of corn and corn products in various energy storage applications, such as lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries, and redox flow batteries, are looked at comprehensively, which may shed light on how to establish an environmentally sustainable, technically feasible, and economically beneficial solution to support the corn industry.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Process innovations to enable viable enzymatic poly(ethylene terephthalate) recycling

Enzymatic depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has received considerable attention for closed-loop polyester recycling. However, current approaches for enzymatic PET recycling face challenges to achieve commercial viability with lower environmental impacts compared with virgin polyester manufacturing. Here, in this study, we present multiple process innovations for enzymatic PET recycling that enable economic and environmental feasibility. We show that substrate amorphization through extrusion and quenching is energy-efficient and enables near-quantitative enzymatic conversion in 50 h. Using ammonium hydroxide for pH control and thermolysis of the isolated diammonium terephthalate salt reduces the acid and base consumption by >99%, lowering annual operating expenses by 74%. Fed-batch processing increased ethylene glycol concentration, leading to a 65% reduction in energy consumption for ethylene glycol recovery. These improvements were modeled in an optimal process, with recycled PET estimated to be US$\$$1.51 kg -1 relative to US domestic virgin PET at US$\$$1.87 kg -1 and eliminating key life cycle obstacles to scale this technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Pushing the performance limits of long wavelength interband cascade lasers using innovative quantum well active regions

Here, we report significantly enhanced device performance in long wavelength interband cascade lasers (ICLs) by employing a recently proposed innovative quantum well (QW) active region containing strained InAsP layers. These ICLs were able to operate at wavelengths near 14.4 μm, the longest ever demonstrated for III–V interband lasers, implying great potential of ICLs to cover an even wider wavelength range. Also, by applying the aforesaid QW active region configuration on ICLs at relatively short wavelengths, ICLs were demonstrated at a low threshold current density (e.g., 13 A/cm 2 at 80 K) and at temperatures up to 212 K near 12.4 μm, more than 50 K higher than the previously reported ICLs with the standard W-shape QW active region at similar wavelengths. This suggests that the QW active region with InAsP layers can be used to improve device performance at the shorter wavelengths.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

The Teller–Ulam Innovation at 75: An Idea that Changed the World and Disputes over Credit

The 1951 Teller–Ulam breakthrough led to the 1952 invention of the hydrogen bomb and set the template for subsequent thermonuclear weapons designs that have played a pivotal role in geopolitics. In the years that followed, disputes arose as to how credit should be apportioned. This article surveys the claims made by Teller and Ulam, as well as by top U.S. scientists who were working with them on the H-bomb project at Los Alamos, drawing on many sources that are not widely available. It is hoped that these documented opinions of key scientific leaders (Bethe, Wheeler, Bradbury, Garwin, and so on), together with the cover page of the H-bomb patent, will be of interest to readers. The opinions vary widely, and even Teller and Ulam changed their assessments with time, becoming more convinced of their own dominant role as they aged. The average of the opinions is that Teller deserves about two-thirds of the credit and Ulam, one-third. While these disputes might detract from the elegance of scientific progress, they do show that advances occur from collaboration, competition, and varying lines of attack; indeed, the key contributors to this innovation might be better named as Teller–Ulam–Fermi–Konopinski–de Hoffmann.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗